Machine for applying seals to cushion inserts



Dec. l0, 19.29. F. c. LUNDELLET AL MACHINE FOR APPLYING SEALS TO CUSHION INSERTS 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 25. 1928 MMIV. www M mmf R VUF. vm MM5. f s, fcf n 2 M 7 m @MJL W7 @24 /m n o" 0 Dec. l0, 1929. F. c. LUNDELL ET AL v MACHINE FOR APPLYING SEALS T CUSHION INSERTS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 w w w Z 5 o l. a x I l' M 1 JIIV fm@ w M w 4. M4 d c n w W v m Naf R. @a 0 NCS T /L i Decl0, i929. F. c. LUNDELL ET AL MACHINE FOR APPLYING SEALS T CUSHION INSERTS Filed Feb. 25. 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Wgr,-

5 Sheets-sheet 5 Filed Feb. 25. 1928 F. c. LUNDELL ET AL MACHINE FQR APPISIYI'NG SEALS vTO CUSHION INSERTS ENT-OTR.;

Dec. 10, 1 929.

Patented Dec. 1o, 192e UNITED i STATES PATENT OFFICE FREDERICK C. LUNDELL A ND CHARLES B. REGAN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AS- SIGNOBS TO THE MILTON CORK COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORA- TION F NEW YORK MACHINE FOB APPLYING SEALS T0 CUSHION INSEBTS Application led February 25, 1928. Serial No. 258,865.

The machine relates to improvements in a machine for applying seals to cushion inserts such as used in caps for bottles, jars and similar containers. While not limited there- 'to the machine illustrated is peculiarly well suited for applying a tin foil or White metal sealto the cork insert of a bottle cap having a crimped outer flange.

Heretofore seals .have been applied to the cork cushioning members of such bottle caps but the mechanism required for the forming of such seals and inserting them has been of a complex nature due inV art to the fact that the seals have been first anged and then inserted in the preformed groove in the cushioning member of the bottle cap. Such prior machines necessitated extremely careful and accurate aligning of the flanges of the seal with the groove in the corkinsert of the cap and also necessitated the provision of some means for spreading the walls of the groove in the cork insert so as to permit insertion of the flano'ed seal. This has heretofore been necessarybecause the material of which the seals are formed is usually extremely thin white metal or similar soft stock having little rigidity.

Our improved machine provides for the simultaneous Hanging and insertion of the peripheral portion of the sealyhence, there is no necessity of spreading the Walls of the annular. groove in the insert to permit entrance of a preformed flange.

Our' machine also provides improved feeding means and accurate centering devices forv positioning the caps in alignment with the tools at the different operative stations.

The invention will be fully apparent from the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawings and the features of novelty will be defined with particular-ity in the appended claims. i In the drawings- I Fig. 1 is a side elevation upon a small scale illustrating an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view from the left of Fig. 1, the lower portion of the machine being broken away and the feed hopper being omitted in lthe interest of clearness;

Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a' Fi 2;

ig. 5 is a view of a bottle cap having a seal applied thereto; f

Fig. 6 is a cross-section of the bottle cap of Fig. 5;

detail-section on line 4-4 of- Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical section taken ig. 14 is a detail longitudinal section through i. the cap feeding mechanism.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 10 repy resents a suitable hopper containing a supply of caps 12 such as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 which have been previously provided with cork inserts or cushioning members 14. A guide feed chute 16 is connected to the hopper 10 and terminates at a point 18. Each time a trigger 20 is tripped a dog 22 releases a cap 12 and dpermits it to slide to a posit-ion to be engage secured to a reciprocated feedrbar 26. The trigger 20 is'actuated by a stud 28 projecting upwardly from the feed bar 26'. This feed bar is secured to a plate 30 mounted in suitable guides 32.- The plate 30 is periodically reciprocated by means of an arm 34 secured to a rock shaft 36 which carries at its outer by the rearmost feed dog 24 pivotally end an arm 38 connected by means of a link 40 to a crank 42 secured to the drive shaft44 of'a punch press which is provided with the usual heavy fly-wheel 46.

As the feed bar 26 moves to the right as viewed in Figs. 1 to 7, 8 and 14, the spring pressed dogs 24,will advance caps 12 to the.

Y which was formed atthe station A. Means are provided at the station B for preventing distortion of the seal upon the withdrawal of the means which inserts the annular portion of the seal in the groove. After insertion of the seal in the groove of the cork cushion, the cap is fed to the station C where pressure is `applied tothe seal and cushion so as to smooth out any inequalities, thus firmly bonding the seal to the cork insert.

At the station A we provide a plunger 48, 'theupper endof which is grooved as at 50 to permit the feed bar 26 to travel there through. This plunger is guided in a bore 52 formed in the bed 54 ofthe machine. At its lower end the plunger is provided withY a shank 56 which passes through a slot formed in the free end 58 of an arm 60 loosely pivoted on the shaft 36. The shank 56 carries adjusting nuts 62 by means of which the ele- -vation of the plunger may be varied. A similar plunger 64 having a shank 66 and adjusting nuts 68 is also provided at the station B and is actuated by the arm 60. The arm 60 is rocked by means of a link 70, this link receiving its motion from a cam 7 2 and a follower 74 secured tothe upper end of the link as shown in dotted lines in 1. The cam 72 is secured to a shaft 76 carryl ing a sprocket 78 driven by means of chain 80 and sprocket 82 secured to the mainsliaft 44 of the punch press. W

The shaft 7 6 carries a spiral gear 84 which drives a mating gear 86 whichhas a slidingv keyed connection with the shaft 88 which shaft is adapted to be reciproca-ted vertically by means of the bifurcated end 90 of'a, bellcrank 92 which engagesa groovedcollar 94 secured to said shaft 88'. At its lower end the shaft 88 .carries a circular knife indicated at 96 which is adapted to form an annular groove 98 in the cork insert 14 of the bottle cap 12. The gearing described rotates the circular knife and makes a clean and well defined cut or groove. i

The bell-crank 92 is pivoted on a stud 100 and its arm 102 .carries at its free end a roller an annular groove in the cork cushion which engages the race- 104 of va cam.106 v,

secured to the shaft 76. l

For accurately guiding the annular knife 96 at the station A we provide a member 108 having bearing portions 110 and 112. For

centering the caps with the axis of the' annular knife 96 we provide on the underside of the member 108 a tapered or cone-like extension 111 which .is adapted to engage the -flaring upper portion of the shell of the cap.

to the projection 111 ywhen the plunger 48 is withdrawn, we provide suitable spring members, one of which is indicated at114 in Figs. 7 and 8, these springs being secured to the underside of the member 108 yby suitable screws as indicated at 116.

After each cork insert or cushion member 14 of the cap' 12 has had an annular groove 98 formed therein, the cap is advanced to the station B upon movement of the bar 26. At the station B means are provided for intermittently feeding a strip S of thin white metal across the path of travel ofthe caps. And means are also provided for punching out a disc from the strip andv bendingthe peripheral margin over the body of cork within the annular groove. In other words, the flat disc of seal stock is forced or flanged over the center of the lcushion member.

This substantially simultaneous cutting ofl the stock and Hanging it over and embedding ,y it in the annular groove in the cork cushion,

all takes place during a single down strokef of the plunger as will presently appear.

The seal stock as best shown in Fig. 11

fed intermittentlyfrom a stock reel 118`from a spool 120 having a rod 122 extending `therethrough Which isguided in slots 124 formed in uprights 126, the reel resting on a roller f 128. Feed rollers and 132 carried by shafts 134 and 186 are mounted between standards-138-138 and` driven through the gears 140, 142, 144, 146 and 148 as shown in Figs. 11 to 13.

. The gear a spring 152, the parts being retained in place by a spring pressed plate 154. The gear 148 1s secured to one end thereof. Said arm is connected by a link with a post 162 projecting from a reciprocable slide 164 which is connected by a link 166 with an eccentric 168 carried by the main shaft 44. As thus arranged, it is clear that on each down stroke of the slide 164, the arm 158 willrock the shaft 156 and that the ball clutch will turn gear 148 in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 11, which in turn through the gearing sliown will advance the strip lof seal stock one step 148 is .recessed to accommodate a clutch ball 150 which is pressed inwardly by loose on a shaft 156 which has an arm 158 yforward. Near the end of the down stroke of the slide 164, a circular hollow punch 170 co-operating with a die 172 cuts a at circular dlsc-like piece-D out of the strip S (Figs. 9

land 10) and forces it downwardly .throu h tubular tucker-member 174'bends the outer part or peripheral margin thereof thus forming a lange and at the same time embedding the flange of the seal within the previously formed annular groove 98 of the cushion member 14. The mechanism is timed. so acl curately that on the down stroke of the slide 164 the'feedin movement of the strip :S is completed by t e time the punch 170 comes into engagement with the strip and the subsequent downward'movement of the slide is so slight that the movement giventhe. feed rollers while the punch is travelling through the strip is negligible. y l

The punch 170 as best shown in Figs. 7, 8

and 11'is secured in a bore 178 formed in the body of the slide 164. Surrounding the lower part of the punch we provide a clamp sleeve 180 which engages and holds the seal stock S during the punching operation, this member being pressed down by a clamp spring 182 surrounding the punch and secured thereto as indicated at 184. The tucker 174 is slidable relatively to lthe punch and is arranged to be actuated by a tappet 186 Vpivoted at 188 when the tail 190 of said ta pet strikes a fixed abutment 192 during the own stroke of the slide 164. The end 194 of the tappet coacts with an 'enlarged head 196 on a stud 198 which is screwed into the bore 200 at the top of the tucker member` 174. A compression spring 202 surrounds the'shank of the stud 198 and tends to force the tucker 174 up, the

lower end of the spring engaging a washer' 204 seated against a shoulder formed in the bore of the tubular punch.

The presser 176 is secured tothe end of a screw 206 whose shank is slidable in the bore- 208 of the tucker and whose head 210 loosely ts the bore.200. A spring 212 surrounds the shank of the screw 206 and tends to force the presser 17 6 down.

As thus arranged it is clear that when the slide 164 descends, the clamp sleeve 180 will hold the strip S of seal stock while the punch and die coact to sever a circular disc therefrom. See Fig. 10. The disc thus severed Will be substantially concentric with the groove previously formed in the cushion member of the cap 12 which is centered on the plunger 64 by a centering projection 214 provided on the underside of the die. Continued downward movement of the 'punch will position the flat disc on the face of the cushion in I member.

overlapping and concentric relationship' with the annular groove and the. presser 17 6 will next engage theA disc and securely hold it against the cushion while thetappet 1 86 depresses the tucker 174 and thus bends the outer part ofthe discl downward (see Fig. 8) over the center part 216 of the cork insert and thus forms the annular iange 218 in situ andv embeds it in the previously formed annular groove 98 in onecontmuousoperatlon and during a'single down stroke of the punch.

During the withdrawal of the tucker 174 the spring 212 holds v the presser '180 'firmly against the inserted seal and prevents dislodgment thereof.

After the punch, tucker, presser andrelated parts recede, the cap with its embedded seal is then fed to the station C- as indicated in Fig. 7, and upon the next down stroke of the slide 164, a plunger 220 is brought intoA contact with the upper surface of the embedded.

seal to lirmly press the seal and interlock its flanged The plunger 220 as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 is of hollow construction and encloses a compression spring 222, one end of which engages the bottom thereof and the other end of wh-ich engages' a rod 224 carried by the slide 164. The plunger slidingly engages the rod 224 and its movements are limited by a screw 226 secured to the rod and freely passing through a slot 228 in the shell of the plunger.

In the specification and in the drawings we have exemplified our invention with particular 'reference to applying seals to cushion inserts of cork or the like'carried by bottle caps. Itis to be understood, however, that, if desired, the seals may be similarly applied t'o plain cork discs or cushion members. 4

Various modilications of the invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention as defined in the following claims.

What we claimiszl v 1. A machine for applying seals to caps provide with cushion inserts, comprising means for formin an annular groove in the cushion insert of t e cap, means for position` ing a. fiat disc in substantially concentric relationship to the groove inthel cap and means effective to bend an annular portion of the disc over the central part of the cushion inlsert to embed the peripheral portion of the disk in the groove in said cushion member.

2. A machine for applying seals to caps provided with cushion inserts comprising means for cutting a grove in the insert of such a cap, a punch and die for cutting a circular disc yfrom a sheet of stock, and a tubular member operable through the die Jfor simultaneously Hanging over a peripheral margin of portion with the l grooved cushion lll the disc and embedding it in the groove of the cushion insert formed by 'the first means.

named seal stock in.,overlappingrelationship with the groovein said insert and means for simultaneously bending over` and pressing the peripheral fmargin of ,said disc into the annular groove in said Cushion insert.

4. A machine forapplying seals to caps provided with cushionin'sjerts comprising a plurality ofoperative stations, a feeder for. successively positioning said caps at spaced stations, means at one station for grooving the insert of the cap fed thereto, means at another station for feeding Aa strip of seal stock ac-ross one face of the cap and means located at the lastnamed station for severing a piece from the strip of seal stock and forcf ing a marginal portion thereof into 'the grooved insert of the cap.

5. A machine for applying seals to caps provided with cushion inserts comprising means for forming an annular groove in the cushion insert, means for forming acircular flat disc of seal stock in alignment with the center of a previously grooved cap and means for simultaneously Hanging over and pressing the marginal portion of said flat disc into the annular groove .in said cushion insert.

6. A machine for applying seals to caps provided with cushion inserts comprising a grooving member, means for feeding caps to a position opposite said grooving member, means for accurately centering the caps yvith the grooving member, a punch and die, means for feeding sheet seal stock across-the face of the die, means for. feeding caps into substantial alignment with said punch and die, means for -centering a grooved cap with said punch and die, means for moving the punch relatively to the die so as to shear a disc of metal from the seal stock, means within the punch and movable relatively thereto arranged to ange over the eripheral margin of said disc and force it into the groove of the cushion insert.

'1 annulargroove in such inserts, means 7. A machine for applying seals to caps provided with cushion inserts comprising means for forming an annular grove in the cushion insert of a cap, means for forming a) circular disc and means for bending the peripheral margin of the disc over the body of t'he`cushion bounded by saidv annular groove;

8. A machine for applying seals to caps provided with cushion inserts comprising a plurality of stations, means for forming fan or to said stations, means at one such station for'intermittently feeding a strip of seal stock, means for punching circular discs of material out of such stock feeding such caps exerting a yielding pressure upon the face Y ofthe seal. A

10. The machine' defined in claim 4 including means for lifting the caps at each operative station and means for accurately centering them at the respective stations.

11. The machine of claim 4 in which the y feeder comprises a reciprocating member carrying a plurality of yielding feed dogs.

12. A machine as definedin claim 2 including a reciprocating slide carrying said punch and a reciprocating feeder timed to vfeed the caps to alignment with said punch in synchronism with the movements of said slide.

13. A machine for applying seals to caps provided with cushion inserts comprising a plurality of operative stations, means -for forming an annular groove inA the cushion insert, means for-advancing a grooved cap to an' operative station, means at one of said stations for feeding seal stock, a reciprocating l slide supporting said grooving means, and means carried` by said slide and operable during a single stroke thereof fon shearing a disc from said seal stock and simultaneously bending and inserting the margin of said disc in the groove of the cushion insert.

14. A machine for applying seals to caps provided with cushion inserts comprising a plurality of stations, means for forming an annular groove in the cushion insert', means for advancing a grooved cap to one of said stations, means at saidv station for feeding seal stock, a reciprocating slide supporting said grooving means, a punch carried by said slide for cutting a disc from ,said seal stock,

a` tucker movable Within' the punch and arin such a cushion'and a tubular member for bending a continuous marginal portion of the disc over the body of the cushion bounded by said annular groove and embedding said continuous portion in said groove.

16. A machine for applying a metal seal to a cushion of cork or the like comprising means foi` forming -an annular groove in such a cushion, means for feeding a strip of peripheral' seal stock across one face of the cushion,

means for severing a seal from said strip, and a, single means for bending the peripheral margin of said seal and inserting it in said groove. Y

17. A machine for applying a metal seal to a cushion of cork or the like comprising means for forming an annular groove in such a cushion, means Ifor positioning a seal in substantially concentric overlapping relationship wit-l1 said cushion anda single means for bending the peripheral margin of said seal and inserting it in said groove.

In Witness whereof, we have hereunto signed our names.

FREDERICK C. LUNDELL. CHARLES B. REGAN. 

